


What Happens in Zaofu

by mankanshoku



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-03 17:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4109812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mankanshoku/pseuds/mankanshoku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fluffy AU. Kuvira's childhood friendship with Korra, and her relationship with Suyin as her mentor.</p><p>Tired of hiding and ready to see the world, 14-year-old Korra escapes her compound in the Southern Water Tribe and heads to Zaofu. There, she meets Kuvira, a skilled earthbender who agrees to help her out... That is, if they don't get caught by Suyin first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Happens in Zaofu

**Author's Note:**

> This story is equal parts Suvira and Korvira. There aren't many multi-chapter fics with Kuvira as the main character, so please share if you liked it. : )
> 
> Many fics entailing Kuvira's childhood portray her as a really reserved kid, but I'm taking a shot at something a bit different. Considering that many similarities have been drawn between Korra & Kuvira, both having dominant personalities, I could also see them being quite rebellious as teenagers. Hopefully you don't find them OOC here.

Kuvira watched closely as the boys who stole her food walked down the alleyway, laughing as they swung her bag in hand.

She'd make a move on them soon, but she knew patience was of the utmost importance if she wanted to get all her belongings back in one piece. She was greatly outnumbered, and it was too close to Zaofu's curfew; anyone under seventeen years of age had to be home before nine pm. Though Zaofu was far from a dangerous city, measures were taken to ensure that crime wouldn't even _begin_ to be a problem.

If she made a racket that lasted more than a minute, a guard would be on her heels in an instant and she'd have another situation on her hands.

One of the boys kicked his toes forward and brought a wave of earth with it, molding several seats and a table.

 _So they're earthbenders too,_ she noted to herself.

They dumped out half the contents of her bag, deciding how to split their ill-gotten gains between the six of them. They bickered back and forth deciding who deserved what while Kuvira studied them and her stolen goods. One loaf of bread, a few cups of pudding, and a small carton of noodles were being spread out and distributed. There was still some food left in the sack that they could run off with if she decided to face them right now.

She lay in wait, like a cat preparing to pounce on unsuspecting prey; only her green eyes could be seen peering out from her hiding spot.

She was positioned above them on the ledge of the roof, shoulders hunched and arms ready to spring into action.

Kuvira remained crouched there, eying them for a few more seconds, wondering what move to make first so that they didn't run off with the remaining half. After letting a fifth boy snake out an orange from her knapsack, she decided they had put their filthy hands all over her property enough.

She leaped from the rooftop she was nestled in. As soon as she landed on both feet, she slid forward and brought the ground all the way above her head to form a monstrous cavern.

The boys panicked, realizing that the immense wall had been effortlessly formed by a girl as small as they. It was clear they'd be no match for her; they dropped everything they had and her stolen pack, immediately splitting from the scene.

Kuvira's puffed out chest deflated when she realized they had no intention of fighting her.

"Good," she muttered under her breath, taking the sack and slinging it around her shoulder. The fourteen-year-old grabbed her things and hurriedly stuffed them inside. She had to make one more stop before heading home. Just as she took one step toward her destination, she felt a piece of metal clasp around her wrist and hold her in place.

"What the-" Kuvira turned around and saw the face of her captor, her eyes widening in response.

Normally, she kept herself aware of her own facial expressions; it was just another way in which she exercised control over all things. But now Kuvira wasn't sure if she was showing guilt, fear, anticipation, or a combination of all three.

"Kuvira, what are you doing out here?" The matriarch asked her, a threatening look in her eye. She had told the teenager a thousand times not to wander too far from the Beifong estate. "One of the guards spotted you running towards the roof. You knew that by coming here, you wouldn't make it back home on time for curfew."

"Oops." Kuvira's expression of surprise turned into one of amusement and she shot Suyin a lopsided grin. _Guess I should've factored in time loss due to possible juvenile infractions.  
_

The taller woman glared at the blatant display of enjoyment on the girl's face.

With one tooth missing and a few freckles dotting her cheeks, Suyin would have found the face adorable, but she had let Kuvira slide too many times before. Her innocent-act couldn't pay for her transgressions this time. She was in no mood to play games.

After seeing that the matriarch had no intention of letting her off the hook, Kuvira frowned.

"Let go of me!" Kuvira yanked her arm back to no avail. She furrowed her eyebrows in resentment and morphed the strip off her, using her newfound knowledge of metal bending, and ran away.

"Kuvira, stay where you are!"

The young earthbender dashed across the streets, laughing as she went.

Su grit her teeth at the defiance, chasing down the younger girl and leaping from one rooftop to the next. Yes, she was a busy woman, but she wouldn't allow one of her best students to escape the very laws she wrote and passed.

This chase strangely seemed to echo her past squabble with Lin as a young police officer.

Oh, how the tables seemed to turn once a person got old enough…

The teenager giggled as she evaded Suyin; she was _just_ out of the matriarch's grasp but she knew she'd have to duck into a house soon to lose her.

Kuvira's triumphant grin faded as she saw the metal tiles beneath her liquify and lurch forward to capture her ankle. Just as she was about to lose the race, she felt a whip of water encircle her waist tightly, yanking her five buildings ahead of Suyin, and into an open window.

Kuvira shielded her face with her arms, bracing for impact. The window frame skimmed just the tip of her head and she somersaulted the moment she landed inside the room, tumbling into a young, dark-skinned girl.

"Oof!"

Both girls remained sprawled out on the old, carpeted floor. Kuvira rubbed her forehead and winced.

"Wow, you had a guard _and_ the matriarch chasing you." the Water Tribe girl said, shaking her head. "You have to work harder on being stealthy."

"I'm an earthbender," Kuvira said, brushing off stray dust on her arm. "That word doesn't mean anything to us. What's it to you, anyway?"

"Well, if I gotta keep saving you, you're gonna get me caught too, dummy!" The girl said, rummaging through Kuvira's bag. "Oh- awesome, you got more noodles. Thanks."

"You think you can stay here forever? The White Lotus has been asking around for you. How are you going to go to school?"

"I don't need school. I need to master the elements. So are you going to help me master earthbending or not?"

Kuvira sighed. "It'll be difficult for this to work since Zaofu is constantly monitored by the city guard. But… I guess we could train in the mountains on the weekends if I don't have a ton of homework."

Korra's eyes lit up. "Really? So... you'll help me?"

"I'll keep quiet if you keep quiet," the earthbender said.

"That's... So kind of you! Thank you!" The Southerner reached for a hug, trapping the other girl's arms to her sides, so her physical gratitude could not be rejected.

Kuvira sighed. "Don't thank me. Ever since I started getting honor roll at school, there's been a shortage of fun around here, so I guess you'll do for now."

The Avatar grinned, squeezing her tighter. "So the rumors don't lie…" Korra nuzzled her face into the other girl's chest gratefully. "I knew coming here was a good idea," she said happily.

"What rumors?"

"You know what they say..." Korra looked up at her playfully, ocean blue eyes locking on serious, forest green ones. "What happens in Zaofu, stays in Zaofu."


	2. No Crush Left Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I'm pretty excited about this story, so thanks for reading & reviewing. It's a lot of fun to write whatever comes to mind, and not be too concerned with plot for once. Kuvira trash unite! : ) I've also decided that this will *not* be any kind of modern AU, and that it will stick to the Avatar universe only.

Piercing blue eyes stared long and hard into impenetrable green ones.

"What?" Korra asked, pouting and jerking around under Kuvira's gaze so the earthbender would stop scrutinizing her so closely. " _What_?"

For the past five minutes, Kuvira had been making a face akin to the expression one would have after taking a swig of sour milk.

"You look really weird in Earth Kingdom clothing," she said, wrinkling her nose in disapproval.

Korra pulled the olive-yellow shirt above her stomach and over her head, flinging it on the ground. "Green isn't my favorite color either," she said, folding her arms over her chest bindings and looking at the bundled mess on the floor. "But if I switch back to my water tribe gear I'll stand out. Are you sure there isn't anything else I can wear?"

The earthbender peeked out of the window one more time as she thought, making sure she hadn't been followed. They were stationed at the edge of the central dome. It was Zaofu's financial hub, the heart of the Metal Clan's day-to-day activities, home to skyscrapers and shops that soared above and beyond the city streets. Though the Beifong estate was a train ride away, Suyin spent a lot of time in the city's center because she taught at a private university near Kuvira's high school.

Kuvira had packed Korra's dinner the night before so she could bring her food as soon as classes ended. Her intentions weren't exactly altruistic, though- she was more concerned about lessening the chances of running into the matriarch again.

"Maybe our school uniform will suit you better. The blouse is white and the skirt is a nice, deep hue—midnight green to be exact."

"—A _skirt_?" Korra recoiled slightly at the thought. "Can't I wear trousers?"

"You're being awfully picky for an escaped convict," Kuvira said.

"I'm not a con—"

"—Here, you look like you're about my size. Try mine on for measure." Kuvira pulled out her uniform from her backpack and tossed it to Korra. "I always change after school ends. It just isn't practical for training."

Korra looked her up and down, studying her choice of regular clothing. She wore a sleeveless tank top; it was the color of dark moss and looked cool against her pale skin tone. It was a straight cut shirt, cinched at the waist with a cloth belt. With her small chest and baggy pants, it gave Kuvira a boyish figure that contrasted with her slender arms and girlish braid.

The Southerner smiled to herself at the realization of how _cute_ the earthbender actually was, despite her tough demeanor.

The Avatar had been surrounded by bulky-looking guards, aging mentors, and full-grown training partners for most of her life. Most of whom were men. She was fascinated by seeing another girl her age with an appearance so different from hers.

Korra reached for the blouse, putting her arms through each of the sleeve holes and starting to button up the front.

"So what happened when you got home yesterday?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, did you get yelled at by your parents for missing curfew?"

Kuvira shifted her stance slightly, bearing weight on her other foot. Though her face didn't change, her eyes deviated slightly to the left so that it only _seemed_ like she was looking back at Korra.

"No," she said firmly, making it clear she wanted to end her answer there.

She tossed the waterbender her skirt, then turned to the window to examine the outside world again.

Korra looked at her intently and raised an eyebrow when Kuvira stopped talking. The Southerner stared at the crumpled article of clothing for a minute, then back at the girl, expecting a reply. She finally stopped buttoning her shirt when Kuvira refused to turn back to her and continue the conversation. "...And?"

Though Korra had landed in Zaofu just a week ago and didn't know much about the city, it was obvious that the Metal Clan's rules weren't to be taken lightly. Something must have went down once Kuvira finally returned home last night.

The earthbender folded her arms, displeased at the Avatar's stubbornness at first, but then deciding that her honest curiosity was somewhat refreshing. "Actually... I live with Suyin and her family."

Korra's eyes widened at the unexpected revelation. "Really?"

"Yeah. I live in their house, and I have my own room, next to their childrens' rooms. All six of us are on one floor, while Suyin and Baatar Sr. live downstairs."

Korra tried to register what Kuvira was actually saying for a moment. If she lived with Suyin's children and had her own room, then that meant...

"You were adopted by the matriarch?!" Korra asked loudly in a disbelieving tone, as one who always spoke their mind would.

She had no idea that her friend was so close- _literally_ \- to the first person she had to avoid. The Avatar wasn't sure whether this chance alliance was a blessing or a curse. By being right under Suyin's nose, they could get away with a lot of things so long as Kuvira played things smoothly. They could also get caught red-handed if the matriarch caught drift of any funny business going on. 

 _Oh well,_ Korra thought. _This'll just makes things even more interesting._

"Kind of, yeah..." Kuvira answered, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head and looking away. "You could say that."

She had always referred to the matriarch by her name, but never in her life had addressed her as _mom_. Likewise, Suyin had never introduced Kuvira to people as her daughter. Despite being raised by Su, Kuvira didn't like to read into their relationship too much. It brought back troublesome childhood memories about what family really meant.

It was clear that the bond she had with the matriarch wasn't what the rest of the Beifongs had with her.

Korra cocked her head to the side when she noticed Kuvira had shifted slightly in discomfort. "Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as rude," Korra said. "I was just surprised."

"Why?"

"Well, she seems like a really powerful woman... And for her to take you into her home like that..." Korra gave her an earnest smile. "...You must be really special."

The corners of Kuvira's lips twitched upward, but she didn't say anything. She watched Korra put on the rest of her uniform.

"Wow, it's almost an exact fit," Kuvira said after Korra finished closing her shirt and snapping on the skirt. "The bust area might be a bit snug though."

"I think I need a larger waist size, too."

Kuvira took a step back and observed her. Korra had a more womanly figure, though her muscles tried to hide most of it.

"Okay, I'll ask for a size up." Kuvira paused. "And I'll see if I can get you a pair of trousers instead."

"Thanks." Korra remembered that Kuvira hadn't finished answering her question. "...So did Suyin yell at you?"

"She wasn't there when I got back," she answered. "It's not unusual... Sometimes I don't see her for an entire day or two because she's so busy. She probably went off to interview some of the new Zaofu citizens after I disappeared."

"You're just going to avoid her then?"

"Can't," Kuvira said, packing her clothes back into her bag and zipping it up. "I've got metalbending lessons at the university with her in a few hours."

"What are you going to say?"

"I'll make up something."

Korra slipped her Water Tribe clothes back on once more. "Okay. I'll live in this building for a few days until I find a better place to hide out."

"But if you like it here, you can stay. It should be a pretty safe spot for you to hang out permanently. You're lucky Zaofu is busy expanding so you have a lot of options for rooming."

The earthbender got on her stomach and put her face in her palms. She swung her legs back and forth, interested in conversing a little more before she had to leave. "Suyin had a friend from Ba Sing Se come over for dinner a few days ago... And I overheard him saying that a man was looking for someone fitting your description... A fourteen-year-old girl in water tribe clothing."

Korra laughed. "They'll never get that far with that lame description. They can't tell anyone that I'm the Avatar, and there are too many people in the Earth Kingdom capital. With all the heavy security around here, they'll never suspect I'm in Zaofu either. I bet they'll give up and move on soon."

Kuvira nodded. "Whatever happens, I'll make sure they won't get to you in time."

"And I'll make sure training me is worth yours," Korra said, smiling.

"And then, what will you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"After all this, and you master earthbending. Will you go back?"

The waterbender shrugged. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." She paused. "But… I guess I'll go back, because I want to ask my parents if I can go to college in Republic City."

Kuvira's eyes widened. "College…?"

The Southerner nodded. "Yep! Wanna come with me?"

"I can't," she said.

"Why not?" The Avatar's face fell when her friend replied without a second thought. "You won't even consider it?"

"No."

Korra looked at the earthbender, and was taken by surprise when she saw the fierce determination on Kuvira's face, though she continued to speak calmly.

"...Because I'm going to become captain of the city guard some day."

The Southerner blinked at how resolute Kuvira sounded. The girl was only fourteen, yet she was already so sure of what she would become.

Korra wasn't even sure about what she'd want for breakfast the next morning.

"...Are you... going to do that forever?"

"I want to protect Zaofu just as it has protected me." The earthbender said with conviction. "So as long as I'm alive, I'll always be there when my people need me."

* * *

Kuvira absentmindedly twirled a loose curl of her hair as she watched Suyin perform techniques, eyes gliding across the metalbender's body.

The freshman traced her leader's arms and torso curiously, wondering how so much power could be produced from such liquid movement. Earthbenders were known for stomping and crushing, yet Su always moved like a waterbender as her arms rose above her head and swam below her chest. Always with one foot off the ground and up in the air as the other kept her balance, like she was dancing. Spinning, jumping.

Kicking, twirling.

How she could move metal with that kind of separation from the earth, was beyond Kuvira.

That's what she liked about Su. Power came naturally to her, a person who was in control of things but had fun with what she knew. Kuvira supposed that's how she eventually adapted her knack for getting into trouble despite being a talented student.

 _You have only yourself to blame for that, Su,_ Kuvira smiled to herself as she recalled the matriarch's flustered face from the night before.

Kuvira watched her like the rest of the students did, but it wasn't the moving metal she was focused on.

The matriarch's eyes were a pale green, and her winged eyeliner made her look even more observant than she already was. Her hair, an onyx black, just like Kuvira's; the difference lay in the few strands of silver that had started to adorn it.

Until recent years, Kuvira had always been a serious, quiet girl.

 _Students who cause trouble for their teachers are seeking attention,_ she remembered reading somewhere.

_But... Why was she seeking attention from Suyin...?_

The young earthbender knew that developing a crush on a teacher was always a bad move. She wasn't into those sorts of games like the rest of her classmates were; authority was something Kuvira naturally had, and pandering to someone who _officially_ had it, relinquished hers.

Besides, she'd known too many classmates who ended up with broken hearts, because they couldn't move on when their feelings weren't reciprocated.

_Honestly, what were they expecting to happen?_

Kuvira exhaled hard and fast, putting her hands back on her lap so that she'd break the cycle of madness that came upon her when she thought about what she wanted from Suyin.

_Stop fidgeting._

She had more interesting things to worry about and obsess over, like her new friend.

The Avatar.

What luck—she had been daydreaming in her room just a week ago wondering what the purpose of a crush was... And if she had one. It was something forbidden, which made the process exciting. She was a logical thinker; she figured out that's why she had been thinking about the matriarch too many times too often.

With Korra, she could prove to herself that this was the case. She'd have a lot of adventures with her, train with her whenever she was free, and those strange feelings she was having for her leader would go away soon.

The school bell rang its melodic chime, signalling the end of classes.

"Okay everyone, that's it for today. We'll pick up where we left off next class. In the meantime, work on bending the coins I've given you. _Practice_ with each other, folks. "

As the freshman got up to join the small mob of people heading for the door, she heard Suyin's chipper voice turn serious as it addressed her.

"Kuvira, hold it right there."

She halted and looked over her shoulder as she watched Su approach her.

_Oh no...  
_

"Excuse me, Suyin, could I ask you about something before you go-?"

Kuvira exhaled in relief as she saw one of the older students interrupt her fate. This was her chance.

As soon as the matriarch's head turned to respond to the other student, Kuvira shoved through the crowd and dashed down the hallway.

She had someone new to hang out with.


	3. All in a Day's Bending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for joining me for another chapter! I hope you find the writing descriptive enough. Because I have a habit of getting stuck on editing for so long, I publish chapters once I have the main idea down. I'll be back to add a few more edits to this because I really love this story and cute Korvira makes me sooo happy TuT
> 
> Hnng this might be my favorite chapter so far

"I don't have time for this, honestly," Su said in an exasperated voice, kneading her forehead between her fingers.

"Honey, relax. She's just a kid. You know how they are," Baatar Sr. said, getting up to meet his wife at her mirror. He squeezed her shoulders and rubbed her back soothingly. "You were once a troubled teenager too, remember?"

Su chuckled and gave him a wry smile as she rolled her head back. "I just don't know what's gotten into her," the woman said as she rubbed her tense neck. "She was always such a straightforward, honest kid. And now, she's just..." she shook her head and leaned her hands on the dresser. "...I don't know. Just what was she _doing_ all the way out there yesterday?"

"You're worried about her, like every parent would if their kid was out late in a strange part of town." He gave her a final squeeze and returned to their bed, re-opening the pages of the book he was studying. "You two are close. Why don't you just talk to her?"

"I've been trying, but she keeps avoiding me," Suyin said. "I guess it's complicated for her situation. I see her at home and in school... Maybe I have too much power over her life right now," she muttered.

"Then you probably just need to give her some space," her husband said, flipping to the next page in his book as he thought of more solutions. "She's turning fifteen soon. You know that's the craziest time in their lives... With the hormones, and the boyfriends, and the peer pressure, and the..."

"Okay, okay. I get it." Suyin said. "I should back off a bit."

"She's just trying to find her own identity," he said. "She's always been your favorite student, and, maybe... well, you know." he trailed off and gestured for her to fill in the blanks with a wave of his hand, realizing he may be pulling a chord by finishing his sentence.

"What?" Suyin said, turning around. "Maybe what?"

Baatar sighed and put his book face down on the bed, looking at his dearly beloved wife.

"Maybe she's tired of living in your shadow," he finally said.

Suyin's eyes fluttered shut at the realization and she ran a hand through her dark hair.

"You're right, you're absolutely..." the matriarch sighed and joined her husband on the bed, slumping into the pillows. "...Right, about that."

Baatar held her close and put his nose in her hair. "With the way things turned out, you ended up raising her... as a protégé, not as a daughter," he said coolly. "And that was a valid decision on your part."

Suyin said nothing, resting her head as close as she could to her husband's neck.

"...But you can't expect her to be your soldier unless she wants to be."

The matriarch allowed her husband's words to sink in as she mulled over her past decisions.

She never made the conscious decision of relating to Kuvira as a mentor instead of a mother. With the 8-year-old's traumatic past of being abandoned and manipulated, forming a bond with her had been an uphill battle, to say the least. Even with all the gentle coaxing from Suyin and the rest of the family, Kuvira had become too detached to have a normal childhood. The earthbender's exceptional skill had then made up for what she couldn't express in emotion, becoming the first thing to define her as a person.

It had taken years for the girl to finally open up to Suyin and it was only after her first metalbending lesson with the matriarch had she finally cracked a smile.

After a few more minutes of contemplation, Suyin turned over in the bed to give her husband a goodnight kiss. She turned back to the other side and, with a sigh of acceptance, switched the lamp off.

* * *

Getting Korra to start earthbending was probably easier than the time Kuvira first learned metalbending.

...Which, Suyin had recalled with a proud expression, was quite an easy task.

There was just one thing though. After manipulating a piece of earth, Korra had difficulty not destroying everything that went with it.

"Are you _trying_ to start a landslide?!" Kuvira called out, dodging the two boulders Korra released after creating a giant fissure in a cliff nearby.

"Sorry!" Korra yelled back, wincing as she witnessed the boulders crash into the ground and split open with a thundering crack.

Kuvira quickly flipped back, an impressive demonstration of her agility, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Korra.

"You do realize if you kill me, you'll have no one to teach you earthbending, right?" She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms, foot tapping impatiently.

"Argh, this is so hard to get!" Korra said, stomping her foot on the ground and making Kuvira tense her body out of habit. "I don't know why it's so difficult to control for me. I mean, Aang had trouble with firebending because of its power. But I was able to master that perfectly fine! If earthbending is about strength, too, why am I struggling with this...?"

"It's interesting," Kuvira mused as she backed away from Korra and observed her figure. "Most people have trouble moving the earth because they can't muster enough power, but in your case, you keep using too much of it."

Korra said nothing, plopping on the ground and crossing her legs, chin held in her hands.

"You're too focused on ripping up the earth like you're trying to pull out weeds," Kuvira said. "Unlike the subtle emotional changes that trigger firebending, earth requires power, but power that is balanced with waiting and listening."

She squatted into a stance so that both knees were bent and two open-palmed hands faced in front of her. She smashed the ground with her foot, dirt rising up and in-between her toes as she turned her arms to the side and closed her fists.

"Draw power by keeping a stable lower body as you move," she said, shifting in quick but decisive steps around the open space.

Korra walked to her side and copied her technique, trying hard to remain rooted to the earth so that she didn't get carried away again.

"You're being influenced too much by what you know about the other elements," Kuvira explained as she stopped to watch Korra practice by herself. "You're a beginner so you need to get the basics down first. You have to _connect_ to the earth, really entrench yourself in it and feel its core."

Kuvira nodded towards a gnarled tree off into the distance. "See how that tree is firmly rooted in the ground, yet its leaves and branches move freely? Think about that as you keep repeating those combinations."

The earthbender walked around Korra slowly, forest green eyes reading the patterns of steps the Southerner took. As her irises moved back and forth faster and faster, trying to keep up with the Avatar's increasing pace, she frowned from having to squint her eyes. Kuvira brought an open hand upwards, bending a pebble with it. She flicked two fingers forward, landing the stone square into Korra's forehead, causing her lose her stance and fall over.

"Ow!" Korra yelped, rubbing her head with a look of distress. "What the heck was that for?"

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying? You keep skimming the ground, like you're not committed to it," Kuvira said, going back into another stance for Korra to copy. "You know what, let's just work on this form."

Korra rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh, going back into position.

"I'm not letting you bend anything until you get these techniques down," Kuvira said, earning a pout of frustration from Korra. "But I'll do them with you until you get it right."

The irritated look on Korra's face cleared when she realized the earthbender was serious about working with her, step-by-step.

Korra cleared her throat, getting her head back into the game. "Right," she said.

After a few demonstrations, Korra had expected Kuvira to leave so she could sit down somewhere else, directing the Southerner from a more comfortable position for the rest of training. That's what Korra would have done, anyway. She had a short fuse when it came to repeating herself, especially for things as tedious as beginner's lessons.

She appreciated the fact that Kuvira was intent on making her understand earthbending, even if that meant painstakingly reproducing the same forms that Kuvira must have mastered years ago. The Avatar's admiration for her friend had grown quickly- it was easy to see that Kuvira was fully capable of becoming guard captain in a few years. She wished she'd be there to see it, but by that time, Korra also would have grown to become a fully-fledged Avatar.

Would they still see each other and remain friends after they became adults?

The Avatar smiled to herself for a brief moment. There was no reason why they shouldn't be.

Korra breathed in deeply, fully concentrated on analyzing herself and her teacher's body, _feeling_ the earth as much as possible before she changed stances. She exhaled as she tried to let go of her instinct to swoop in and start moving around as much as possible with her feet and arms in constant motion, as she did with waterbending and airbending.

_Earthbending is about waiting, and listening for the right moment..._

Korra's body began to slow as she cleared her mind from distractions. Her feet buried into the ground as she inhaled and exhaled, breathing calmly as she executed sudden but calculated movements. She didn't see the smile that had started to form on Kuvira's face as they neared the end of the lesson.

"Alright, that'll do," Kuvira said, clapping two hands together after Korra executed the last sequence perfectly.

The Southerner straightened her legs and rested her arms back at her sides. She glistened with sweat while Kuvira looked completely cool, like she had been sitting under the shade of a large tree the entire time.

"That means we can get you started on actually earthbending again," Kuvira said as they made their way back to the main dome.

"Whoo-hoo!" Korra elated, jumping up and twirling around, making Kuvira grin at her enthusiasm.

"Not so fast," the earthbender interjected, causing Korra to freeze mid-motion. "There's somewhere we should go before we continue training."

The Southerner folded her arms and raised both eyebrows, a very curious look on her face. Before she could even ask, Kuvira answered her question.

"I can't meet you next week because I have a big school project coming up. I'm not sure what day we can go, so... It's going to be a surprise." she said.

Korra whined in frustration, hunching forward with a giant pout. Sometimes, Kuvira couldn't believe how much power Korra held with such a childish attitude. She didn't mind it, though. Her immature but honest nature got to the last parts of Kuvira, pieces of herself that used to make her stoic.

"For now, let's just go back home, okay?"

 _Home,_ Korra repeated in her head. She could feel her heart swell as fern green eyes looked back at her innocently, wondering why the Avatar was taking so long to answer such a simple question. Kuvira couldn't possibly understand what she offered, as she extended a leading hand for Korra to take.

Korra, for the first time in fourteen years, was being walked home. And this time, it was not a guard, nor her parents or teachers accompanying her back.

But a _friend_.

"Yeah," the waterbender said, accepting the girl's hand in her own. "Let's go home."


	4. Tea for Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, fellow Korvira/Suvira shippers! Ack, I sincerely apologize for the incredibly long wait between updates. I haven't had a regular schedule for chapter releases since school started, especially since this is a pretty fluffy AU. I just write whenever something comes to me- in fact, I'm welcoming any suggestions you may have for this fic. As long as the prompt can fit the storyline, I'm open to writing what you want to see :D So feel free to PM me, leave a review, or message my Ask box on tumblr. I'm not sure how long this will be, but I assure you this story isn't abandoned! I'm just busy these days D:

Kuvira laid weakly in bed, head stuffy and eyes hot.

She turned her head slowly towards the lamp sitting on her side desk, vision blurry as she recalled her surroundings, trying to fight through the haze of thoughts that tended to cloud one's mind when they were sick.

_What time is it? How long was I asleep?_

Kuvira tried to stretch her limbs and was met with cushiony resistance. She'd been bundled up under a thick comforter and several thinner layers of blankets.

_When did I climb into bed…?_

She squeezed her eyes shut again as she traveled closer and closer to true consciousness. Her eyelids flew open when the most important thought bubbled up to the surface of her mind.

_Crap, my essay…_

She reached a sweaty palm from out of her too-warm blanket and switched on the light. A bright glow instantly flashed on and she jerked her head to the side, forgetting to turn the bulb away from her.

It was a school night and she'd come down with a fever earlier in the day; the long-standing awkward tension between her and Suyin had finally been broken when the matriarch realized the young student needed her care and attention. She had sent Kuvira to bed immediately, and was met with little resistance. After being fed soup and hydrated with a variety of Vitamin-C infused liquids, the teenager had slept for most of the day without much trouble.

The 14-year-old was stubborn, though, and now that she was awake, her mind was immediately on her duty to complete the big project that was to be handed in at the end of the week.

She squinted through teary eyes and opened the bottom drawer, taking out a notebook and pen to start brainstorming. She turned to a fresh page, and after a few minutes of scribbling out some ideas, Kuvira glanced up and noticed her door had been left slightly ajar. Kuvira wondered if Suyin had done that on purpose to keep an eye on her.

The high school freshman sighed and put her pen down, rolling back to face the other side of her room so she could stare out the window. She thought about how her life had been so drastically altered by just this one woman, and how the future would turn out.

_What am I to you?_

Kuvira hated thinking about that question. It was times like these, late at night and alone in her thoughts, she felt the most vulnerable.

A few minutes passed before she noticed a hooded figure approach the window. Her heart skipped a beat before she realized who it was, identifying the figure easily when it reached out an open palm and erratically waved through the glass.

_Korra!_

Kuvira ripped off the covers binding her legs and jumped out of bed, darting for the window, but not before stumbling over the excess comforter that had slowly slid down the mattress and onto the floor over the course of her nap.

"Ack—!"

Kuvira broke her fall by metalbending a handle from the nearby bedpost; with a quick turn of her palm, a thin horizontal bar shot out and she slammed her hand into it, causing a loud reverberation to sound. Just as she tightened her grip and steadied herself, the door swung open and the matriarch quickly walked inside.

"Kuvira, what are you doing up?" Suyin looked slightly alarmed at all the racket that this sick child apparently had enough energy to stir up.

" _Um_ —" Kuvira's throat was still scratchy from her cold/fever combination, but it couldn't hide the unstable tone her words gave away when she lied. The student glanced over at the window where Korra had been standing, and when she was nowhere to be found, returned her gaze to Suyin with a little less guilt present on her face. "I was just… um…"

Suyin folded her arms as she watched Kuvira fail to put together a coherent excuse. The matriarch sighed, ushering the teenager back into bed, pulling the covers over her.

"You have to rest until your fever goes away. No more of this—" The older woman bent over to gather the pen and notebook lying on Kuvira's pillow and put it back in its original drawer. "—School stuff. It has to wait. Okay?"

Kuvira pursed her lips and nodded obediently, pulling the covers even further over her nose so just her green eyes stood out.

"Easing your mind will help with the process of healing," the matriarch said as she gave a quick kiss on Kuvira's forehead. "Don't work against yourself."

Kuvira said nothing, not feeling quite up to par for having real conversation at the moment. Suyin was right. The younger girl smiled weakly to herself as her leader withdrew to step back outside, now closing the door completely behind her.

Once the matriarch was gone, Kuvira got up, slowly this time, to tiptoe over to the window and let Korra inside.

"That was close!" The Southerner said as she scrambled over the ledge, grinning when she stood up to come face-to-face with her new best friend.

"I told you I couldn't meet you this week," Kuvira said tiredly as she rubbed her eye.

"I know, you said you had some big assignment coming up," Korra said in a much chipper voice, the status of their health clearly distinguished by the clarity of their words and tone. "But I missed you."

Kuvira couldn't help but blush slightly at Korra's honest admission.

"I missed you too," Kuvira reciprocated, feeling a little better already.

Korra's grin became wider and she pulled out a small plastic baggie with a few packets of tea inside.

"I brought you something!" the waterbender announced.

"Teabags? How did you know I was going to be sick?"

"I didn't. I actually just wanted to have a drink with you since we're not training today. That's what we did at the White Lotus compound when we had family time," the dark skinned girl said, walking over to the dresser that had a pitcher of water on top of it.

"Family time…?" Kuvira watched the Southerner rummage around her room, discovering her rarely-used tea set and dragging it to a corner on the floor.

"Mhm. My parents knew it was lonely for me to not have any friends my age, so they made sure to set a portion of time every week where we could all just sit down and talk. About stuff that wasn't Avatar-related."

Kuvira blinked as Korra put the water and teabags into the kettle, putting two hands over the porcelain pot to heat it up with her firebending.

The Avatar looked up and smiled. "I didn't come all the way here just so I could watch you stare at me. Come here, it's ready."

Kuvira made her way over to Korra's corner and carefully sat down; her illness was still keeping her slightly dizzy.

"It'll make your throat feel better," Korra said, handing her a cup.

Kuvira gave her an appreciative nod as she blew on the surface to cool it. Though she was still sticky with sweat and her head felt swollen, she could feel happiness creep up on her face.

"How is it?" Korra's expression softened when she caught on to Kuvira's smile.

"It's really good. Soothing, actually. Thank you..."

Kuvira felt grateful, not just for the tea, but the humbling experience- she realized she'd met the Avatar at a very particular moment in time- the stages _just_ before Korra would truly become the most powerful person that walked the earth. How many other kids would ever get that chance? She pondered to herself as she took small sips, thinking about how Grandma Toph would probably act unimpressed, even now.

Suyin told her the story of how Toph _technically_ told Avatar Aang to screw off when he first asked for her help.

"So that was Suyin, huh?" Korra spoke up.

Kuvira's eyes moved to Korra as she began to tilt the cup back to her lips again. "Mhm."

"She's pretty."

Kuvira wasn't sure if Korra could tell her face was heating up, but maybe that was just the steam coming from the tea.

"She is." Kuvira paused for a moment, thinking about the matriarch's dark hair and light eyes. "You should see her when she metalbends. It's beautiful."

Korra put her cup down and folded her legs into a pretzel. "I have to admit… I'm a bit jealous."

"Why's that?"

"You have someone you can look up to and admire. I wish I had a woman that would help guide me."

"Don't you have Katara?"

"Yeah, but I mean…" Both girls cracked a grin and started giggling. "She's kinda _old_ , you know? I want someone that could be like a big sister to me, or just a role model. Someone who's… more than a guide but not strictly a teacher."

"Well, you don't have to model yourself after anyone. You're strong and capable enough to forge your own path. I bet when you grow up, you'll be the one that sets an example for other people."

Korra smiled at the reassurance. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Of course it is," Kuvira said quietly as she sipped from her cup again. "It's probably more suited to your nature, anyway."

The two girls sat in silence, occasionally looking back out the window. If it weren't for the artificial lamps set up in the dome, it would have been pitch black outside.

"I'm impressed you were able to find me."

Korra shrugged. "You said you lived with the Beifongs and that you lived upstairs. It wasn't hard to find your home since it's in an entirely separate sector," she laughed. "I was able to sneak in just as the domes were about to close."

"You're lucky Su's always busy. And that her seismic sense kind of sucks. I bet she was too involved with her work to detect that there was an extra person here."

"What do you think she'll do if she finds out I'm here?"

Kuvira couldn't help the sudden look of horror on her face. "That can't happen. She'd ground me for _ages_."

Korra smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh yeah. Sorry about that…I feel kinda bad now, putting you at risk."

" _Kind of_? And only _now_?" Kuvira started laughing, even though her head was still swimming.

"Sorry, it's not that I didn't care, I just..."

Kuvira waved off the apology. "I know, I know. I'm just kidding. Technically we're both going to be in a whole lot of trouble if you don't escape again in time."

"Well, I'm already living in a solitary training compound. They can't ground me any further."

Kuvira smiled as she finished the last of her tea, though she was taken over by a bout of coughing.

"Whoops, better get you back into bed," Korra said as she helped the earthbender to her feet. They held hands as they walked the short distance to the other side of the room. Korra tucked her under the blankets and felt her forehead.

"You're burning up again," she said with concern. "Sorry, I thought the tea would help. I probably should've just let you rest instead of making you spend energy on talking to me..." Korra gave her a kind-hearted smile. "I'll visit you again tomorrow, with some sweets instead."

Korra began to head for the window when she was stopped by a soft tug on her shirt.

"You should stay with me instead," Kuvira said, her eyes slightly pleading.

"We might get caught, though."

Kuvira glanced at the door Suyin closed earlier. "She usually doesn't come in without knocking if the door's completely closed. Besides, we can lock it."

Kuvira flicked a finger to the right, metalbending the lock closed without having to get up. "See?"

"If I stay, will it help you sleep?"

Kuvira smiled weakly. "It'll help a lot."

Korra gave her an understanding nod and walked around the bed, slipping under the covers. She turned to the lamp next to Kuvira's bedside and switched it off.

"I think I know something that might help." Korra lay flat on her stomach and draped an arm around Kuvira's body, who remained cocooned on her back.

The earthbender felt her eyes grow heavy as the waterbender performed some kind of cooling technique that regulated her body temperature to a more comfortable level.

"Good night, Kuvira."

Kuvira smiled, comfortably settling into the pillow.

"Good night, Korra."


End file.
